Darboe Says Decisive UDP Win in the West Coast Will Secure State House

By Seedy Jobe

The Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), A.N.M. Ousainu Darboe, has identified Brikama and the wider West Coast Region as crucial to his party’s presidential election ambitions, declaring that a decisive victory in the area would pave the way for the UDP to capture State House.

“If UDP wins here decisively, we will take State House,” Mr. Darboe told supporters on Sunday during a fundraising event organized by the Brikama Market Women Vendors. The gathering brought together leaders and supporters of the UDP-led alliance, which Mr. Darboe described as The Gambia’s first coalition.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Darboe welcomed a group of new members led by Satou Badjie, who recently defected from the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

He assured the newcomers that they would enjoy the same rights and standing as existing UDP members, emphasizing that the party makes no distinction between longtime supporters and recent entrants.

However, he cautioned that their decision to join the UDP must be accompanied by concrete political action, particularly voter mobilization.

Mr. Darboe said the defectors had cited the NPP’s alleged failure to serve the national interest as their reason for leaving, expressing hope that the UDP would provide an alternative. He urged them to demonstrate that commitment by voting for the party and persuading others to do the same.

He specifically encouraged the new members to return to their villages, compounds and wards to engage former NPP colleagues and encourage them to join the UDP.

Describing his party as a broad and inclusive political movement, Mr. Darboe likened the UDP to a large tent with room for every Gambian, regardless of political background.

He said the party’s doors remained open to all eligible voters, stressing that joining the UDP should not be viewed as an act of loyalty to him or other prominent party figures, including Aji Yam Secka and Yankuba Darboe, but as a decision made in their own interests.

Turning to the country’s economic difficulties, Mr. Darboe echoed concerns raised earlier at the gathering by a speaker identified as Madam Binta.

He argued that Gambians have the power to address the hardships confronting them through the ballot box, presenting the UDP as the political alternative capable of bringing about change.

Mr. Darboe concluded by urging supporters, including those unable to attend the gathering, to rally behind the UDP and translate their dissatisfaction with the country’s economic conditions into votes in the forthcoming presidential election.